These Strategies Can Make Your Home More Elderly-Friendly

Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common accidents that can happen at home. In fact, falls are some the leading causes of injury in people of all ages, although, adults are the most susceptible. It occurs to about 30% of elderly adults aged 65 or older at least once a year, and to approximately 50% of those in their 80s or above. Worse, it is the most common cause of injury-related fatalities in people older than 75.

This said, it is important you make your home fall-proof. Practising safe habits, eliminating risks around the house, and investing in fall prevention tools and furnishing can all contribute to a much lower possibility of these incidents happening.

Causes of slips, trips, and falls

Knowing what causes these injury-causing accidents in the first place is key to preventing them from happening. From small items cluttering the floor to even just the tiniest droplets of liquid, all these can lead to anyone, and not just the elderly, slipping, tripping, or falling.

There are also individual rooms in the house that pose a much greater risk: the kitchen, bathroom, and those with excessively-polished floors. These rooms create hazards since they either have wet or slippery (from too much polishing) floors.

The steps to making your home safer

Simple yet effective methods, such as installing non-slip mats in the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as safety bars and rails, can already help mitigate the risks of these unfortunate and preventable incidents. Many fall-proof homes in the UK also feature Milliken carpet tiles, as these furnishings make it easier to walk on regularly-polished floors. These carpet tiles also protect the floors themselves from scratches, scuffs, and other damages.